Woman • Warrior • Princess

Not running for about month didn’t kill me physically, but it did mentally.

Following my half marathon I took a break, an extended break. I hadn’t planned on it, but my lovely Brooks Ghost 5s were DEAD, and the replacement New Balance sneakers I had in waiting (that I won a few months ago) were a major disappointment. Just one run in them and my feet were aching for days. It took until last week to find the perfect shoe: Saucony Ride 6.

These sneakers were smooth and cushiony, they hugged my curves and arches, they didn’t have any irritating, obtrusive, protruding cushions or pads that I could feel. The moment they were slipped on to my size 8.5s, it was as though I was the running version of Cinderella! But these shoes, they were no boring, clear, glass slipper, oh no, these gals, they’ve got glow-in-the-dark pizzazz all over them, snatching the eyes of every onlooker we pass.

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These shoes scream “FAST!!!

So, with perfect shoe on foot, you’d figure I’d be raring to go right? Wrong. I’ve run twice since acquiring my Sauconys. The first run on Friday was pretty decent, just a shake out the legs, get the muscles moving again kind of run, nothing too strenuous, and nothing that should have had me second guessing any follow-up runs.

Yet, when I woke up this morning, the last thing I wanted was to slip into my running slippers. It was grey. It was cold. It was early. My blood sugars were low. I had no energy. My stomach was off. My butt muscles were achy. My shoulder was sore. Every excuse you could thing of went off. And they nearly won the battle.

I was supposed to run after breakfast, before Big Ring went to road hockey, but the low blood sugars kept me in. I told Big Ring I’d run in the afternoon instead, which is usually a running death sentence. If I don’t run first thing, I’ll usually come up with more excuses not to go.

Which is exactly what I did, came up with probably about 10 or so, and honestly I have no idea what finally pushed me out that door, but somehow my sneaks and I ended up running the roads. I’m not gonna say it was a brilliant run, because it wasn’t. My body felt fine, aside from my shoulder screaming at the 25-minute mark; my pace for a second run back was pretty freaking awesome in my books; and while my breathing was laboured, it wasn’t to the point of keeling over. But my brain, ohhh that finicky, evil brain of mine, was waging a war in my head telling me to STOP!, telling me THIS ISN’T WORKING!, telling me IT WOULD FEEL SO MUCH BETTER TO WALK!

Friends, I fought back. Channelling my inner Queen Elizabeth, courtesy of Cate Blanchett, I shouted to that demon as loud as my inner voice would go:

“I, TOO, CAN COMMAND THE WIND, SIR! I HAVE A HURRICANE IN ME THAT WILL STRIP YOU BARE IF YOU DARE TO TRY ME!”

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
The brain backed down 😉

And with a carrot (by way of my Rings walking up ahead) at the end of the run dangling before me, I gave those sneakers a good running right to the end!

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The best get-your-butt-moving motivator!

TODAY’S RUN:

  • 3 p.m. BG before: 5.6
  • Carbs: 2 biscuits (19g) no bolus
  • Temp. basal: none
  • Time: 30:03 minutes
  • Distance: 5.46 km
  • Average pace: 5:27 min/km
  • 4 p.m. BG after: 6.0

Here’s hoping my next run won’t be so hard to conquer.

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